Snowed In
by julesshondaland
Summary: After getting snowed in at the family cabin, Grace and Frankie must deal with more than just the fear of surviving in the cold.


"Grace would you hurry up, we're going to the mountains not New York fashion whatever" Frankie calls up the stairs.

"Fashion _week"_ Grace calls down the stairs, "I'll be just a minute"

Frankie sighs and heads up the stairs. She knew what "just a minute" meant in Grace's book.

She enters the blonde's room and plops herself on the bed, bending her arms under her head, her memorable locks of hair flowing from every direction, spilling over her small arms.

"Frankie, I just made the- oh forget it" Grace sighs, exiting the closet and seeing Frankie sprawled across her bed.

"How do you think this looks, is it okay?" Grace asks, examining herself in the full-length body mirror.

Frankie flips over on her belly, holding her head up with her hands.

"Now Grace, you can't wear that!" she exclaims.

"Why not? Is there a stain.." Grace trails off, doing circles in the mirror, looking for the flaw.

"Grace, we're going to Big Bear, you know, where it's COLD, where we're expecting a BLIZZARD"

"And your point?" Grace asks.

"You're wearing a cardigan."

"It's a nice cardigan"

"That's not the point-you're going to freeze your ass off"

Frankie hops up from the bed and makes her way to Grace's closet, searching through endless racks of solid colored button ups and grey and black pantsuits.

"Where are your winter clothes?" Frankie asks, frustrated.

"Well, I don't really have any-we live in La Jolla, in case you haven't noticed, it's not exactly the antarctic."

Frankie sighs.

"Besides, we're only going up there to make sure the cabin is ready before the blizzard hits, we'll be out of there before any snow falls at all"

"That doesn't mean it won't be cold-forget it, we'll just get you something warmer than a sheet of paper on our way up"

"Fine" Grace agrees.

And with that, they were out the door.

After picking up a warmer jacket for Grace, they stopped at Frankie's favorite coffee shop then began their drive up the mountain.

"So what exactly did the guys say we needed to do?" Frankie asks, sipping her warm coffee.

"I don't know, but they said there's a checklist on the fridge" Grace responds.

The car went silent and Frankie quickly became restless.

"99 bottles of kombucha on the wall, 99 bottles of-"

"Frankie" Grace warned.

Frankie let out a little huff and rested her arm in the window, using her hand to prop up her head.

"Are we there yet?" Frankie asked for what felt like the millionth time.

"No" Grace sighed, "but almost"

That made Frankie slightly smile and she settled into her seat, a bit more content.

"Why do we have to do this again? Why aren't Sol and Robert doing it, they're the only ones who ever used the place, if you know what I mean" Frankie asked, annoyed.

"As unpleasant as that image is, yes I do, and I told you, they're going on that vacation remember? They're going to Hawaii."

"Those bastards" Frankie said, defeated.

"Why? Because they're going to Hawaii? You've been I thought" Grace asked

"No, well yes I have been, but not just that. I guess I'm just still bitter that they blew up our lives and they get to live happily ever. Christmases spent together in Hawaii, someone to hold at night, and we're...alone"

"Frankie, we are NOT alone" Grace demanded, gripping her steering wheel tighter, "What, were you in a bunker in the 60's?" Grace laughed, mocking Frankie.

"You know what I mean" Frankie sighed, peering out the window.

They were almost up the mountain now, surrounded by tall pine trees and gloomy weather.

"C'mon Frankie, I don't like to see you like this" Grace whined.

"Maybe it's the weather Grace, or maybe it's the holiday season. I'm sorry, I don't mean to bum you out"

"You're not, I understand"

Grace thought about reaching over the center console and resting her hand on Frankie's. She wanted to comfort her. But it was a fleeting thought that was soon gone.

Grace pulls the brake to a halting stop, jolting Frankie from her trance, as they park in front of the cabin.

"It looks different" Grace remarks, tilting her head.

"When was the last time you were here?" Frankie asks.

"I honestly don't remember" Grace says.

She breaks eye contact with the now unfamiliar house and locks the car, fumbling in the pockets of her new big navy blue parka for the cabin keys.

Frankie rubbed her hands together and watched Grace, noticing how beautiful she was. Her soft pink skin and rosy cheeks popped against the gloomy background of the sky, and her ice blue eyed struck her almost more than the cold weather did. He blonde hair was blowing softly in the wind, mixing with the blue faux fur along the hood of her parka. There was such an innocence about her, and Frankie was enthralled by her. She suddenly noticed she was staring and looked down at the ground, drawing patterns in the snow with her feet.

"Found the key" Grace sighed, walking up the stairs to the front door and unlocking the door.

They made their way into the tiny cabin and Frankie headed straight for the thermostat, cranking the heat up as high as it would go.

"Frankie-don't turn the heat up too high I don't want it to be a sauna in here" Grace calls from the other room.

Frankie sighs and turns it down a few notches.

Grace was just reading the list left on the fridge when Frankie joined her.

"Okay, let's start with the patio furniture-that seems like the biggest task, so let's just get it out of the way" Grace says.

"That is a really long list Grace" Frankie whined.

"We have a lot of things to do" Grace agreed, then walked to the back door.

"My least favorite amount of things to do…" Frankie said quietly, following Grace.

After pulling the patio furniture under the awning so it wouldn't get too damaged by the snow, the women head inside to tend to other matters.

Hours pass of mainly Grace tending to the cabin, and Frankie singing throughout the rooms of the house. It soon grows dark and Frankie becomes restless.

"Grace, are we-" Grace shoots her a look "I mean you- almost done?"

"There's just a few more things I need to finish….if you're hungry I brought a cooler, it's in the back of the car"

"Christ on a cracker! There's been food here the whole time?! You've been holding out on me!"

"Well I didn't want you to eat it all on the way up" Grace says, rolling her eyes and folding a sheet.

Frankie erratically makes her way to the door, but when she opens it, she's met with a wall of snow.

"Um, Grace?" Frankie calls

"What is it now Frankie?"

"I think someone stole our driveway"

"Frankie, what on earth are you talki-"

Grace is stopped mid-sentence when she rounds the corner and makes the realization that they were snowed in.

"Oh my god." Grace says, incredulous.

Frankie starts wringing her hands.

"Grace what are we supposed to do" she said, looking up at Grace with those big, worried blue eyes, for further instruction.

"I-" Grace said, looking back and forth at the wall of snow before them, "Frankie I don't know"

Grace squeezed Frankie's arm for reassurance while walking past her and heading into the living room.

She flipped on the old radio they had and began scanning through the static, listening for the local radio station. Finally, a crackling voice came through.

"Not sure - largest blizzard- stay inside"

The words were broken up but the women got the point.

"Well, this is fucking fantastic" Grace sighed, slamming the radio off and throwing her hands in the air. She begins pacing the room and Frankie is right on her tail.

"Stop following me!" Grace yelled, frustrated.

"Hey! don't get snippy with me, I'm scared. You wear the too-tight pants in this relationship, I don't know what to do!" Frankie yells back.

Grace rolls her eyes and sits on the recliner, but Frankie keeps pacing.

"OH my god what if there was an avalanche- what if our whole house is covered and they'll never know because they can't see it and then we both run out of food and water and heat and one of us has to eat the other like Guy ate his best friend and-"

"FRANKIE" Grace says sternly, grabbing the woman's shoulders, "we are NOT going to die, and nobody is eating anybody"

"You promise?" Frankie asks, her face still clothed with worry.

"I promise" Grace says, placing a kiss on Frankie's forehead.

Grace went into the kitchen and grabbed her phone, there was no connection but she thought she would try to send a text anyway.

"Snowed in at cabin-come help us" she pressed send in the group chat she had with Mallory and Brianna and figured she would walk around the cabin until hopefully she would hit a spot that had service. Grace was cool and collected. She knew if she showed any sign of worry Frankie would be insufferable. She also knew that they would be getting help soon. Or at least, she pretended to have confidence that they would.

"Grace, I'm still hungry" Frankie whined from the other room.

Grace threw her head back and groaned.

A few hours pass, the women had been watching old DVD's, and Grace begins checking the time on her thin leather wrist watch, getting more and more anxious. Her phone was on 10 percent and she had left her charger in the car.

She stands up to head to the kitchen to look for any sign of food, or alcohol.

There was nothing in the fridge, or the pantry. She opens the freezer and smiles. A bottle of vodka. She pulls it out and walks into the living room.

"I found dinner" the blonde chuckles.

Frankie makes a disgusted face and sighs.

"Oh come on, let's try to make this fun" Grace says.

"Vodka is not in my top five favorite drinks" Frankie groans, "but I suppose it will do"

Grace sits next to Frankie on the couch and takes a swig straight from the bottle, then passes it to Frankie. Frankie takes a drink. Suddenly, the natural rhythm of the house comes to a halt. The t.v powers off and the lights go dark.

"Fucking hell." Grace says.

"GRACE!" Frankie yells, panicking.

"It's okay Frankie, I'm right here." Grace reaches out in the dark and grabs Frankie's arm with one hand. With the other she pulls her phone out of her pocket and turns on the built in flashlight.

"I think I remember where the candles are" Grace says quietly, standing up.

"Oh no, don't leave me!" Frankie pleads.

"Just come with me!" Grace says, annoyed.

"Oh. Right." Frankie stands up and lets Grace guide her through the house.

Grace quickly finds the candles and matches and sets them up on the coffee table in the living room. Grace resumes her place on the couch but Frankie opts to sit on a pillow on the floor on the opposite side of the table. The flashlight on Grace's phone quickly flickers out as her battery dies, and Grace pretends not to be worried. She repeatedly tells herself in her head that the girls would be there any time and they would be okay.

"What are we gonna do?" Frankie asked, her voice riddled with worry.

"Well, we're going to wait I would guess. And we are NOT going to panic."

"Okay" Frankie sighs.

The room goes silent and Frankie becomes restless.

"OOOOH, let's play a game!" Frankie blurts out.

Grace's first instinct was to say no, but at this point she was out of options and the vodka was beginning to lower her inhibitions.

"Fine, but wait-what are we going to play?" Grace asks.

"There's no board games….and not enough people to play spin the bottle...so I guess we could play truth or dare?"

"Frankie, what are we, in college? Besides, I'm pretty sure at this point you know more about me than I know about myself" the blonde says sarcastically.

"Well, what's your great idea?" Frankie challenges.

"Well, I mean -" Grace scoffs, thinking a little too long.

"Well?" Frankie pushes.

"Ugh, fine, we'll play truth or dare"

"Yipee!" Frankie squeals, covering herself up more in the big quilt she had found in the spare bedroom.

"Hey, let me under there, I'm cold" Grace says, scootching down to the floor and wrapping the blanket over her shoulders.

"Gee, I would've thought the vodka would've warmed you up" Frankie teased.

Grace shot her a look and took another drink.

"You go first" Frankie said excitedly.

"Truth or dare" grace asked reluctantly.

"Truth" Frankie says, smiling.

"Even though you say you don't - have you ever accidentally used my toothbrush"

"Yes." Frankie nodded her head. Grace through her head back and groaned.

"But it was only once - a dozen times max" Frankie laughed.

The women continued to play for what felt like hours, and the contents of the bottle quickly diminished. Both women were tipsy and tired and quickly grew tired of only answering truths because they were both too lazy and scared to do a dare.

"Truth or dare" Frankie asks.

"Truth"

"AW come on! this is boring. do a dare" Frankie begs, laughing

"No!" Grace whines, chucking and swaying back and forth.

"Pleaaaaaase Grace. Please do a dare. Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top-"

"oh fine, dare!" grace downs the last bit of the bottle and sets it on the floor.

"oh goody!" Frankie squeals, she thinks for a minute and Grace becomes impatient.

"Frankie" grace begs.

"Don't rush me!"

"Just dare me to do something it's not that hard"

"It is!" Frankie argues.

"Frankie would you please just-"

"I dare you to kiss me" Frankie blurts out.

"oh Frankie, come on, you can do better than that" grace leans over and places kiss on Frankie's forehead.

"No Grace, I mean…. _Kiss_ me"

Grace sits a bit further back from Frankie, looking at her in a new light.

"Are you that drunk?" Grace laughs.

"Hey! you don't need to be insulting" Frankie defends, "If you can't take the dare that's fine, I'll give you a pass"

"Please Frankie, I could take the dare, it's just not a good dare. Think of a good one"

"You're scared" Frankie teased

"No, I'm not." Grace said, squinting her eyes, trying to read Frankie's mind. She looked at the woman's soft features. The way her hair was always perfectly placed. She looked into her dark blue eyes, and examined her lips, trying to understand what was going on behind all those beautiful features.

"No Grace, really, it's fine. I mean, I'm not the one who's going to have to live with the shame of backing out on a d-"

Frankie's taunting words are cut off by Grace's soft lips being pressed into hers. Frankie's fingers went numb and her stomach felt like it was doing flips. Grace's hands were resting gently on her cheeks. It was a short soft kiss, one that left her head spinning.

Grace pulls away, biting her lip, suddenly struck with the realization of what she had done.

Frankie's face was flushed, but also confused. The women didn't break eye contact.

"Frankie - I'm, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that I know we were just -"

Frankie graves Grace's face and pulls her closer.

"I've been waiting for you to do that for years"

She leans back in, this time with more intention, more preparedness.

She starts with a soft kiss, getting a feel for what Grace felt like. The sparks between them were almost tangible, and left Frankie wondering why she hadn't done this sooner. Grace pulled away, grabbing Frankie's face and looking at her, her chest raising and lowering rapidly, gasping for air. Her eyes darted back and forth at Frankie's. You could suddenly see in the blonde's eyes that a decision had been made. She quickly kissed Frankie back, harder this time, allowing Frankie to fully take her in. She crawled closer to her, sitting on top of the brunettes lap, she wrapped her legs around her soft body.

Frankie slips her tongue in Grace's mouth and she welcomes it, suddenly needing more from Frankie than she ever thought possible.

"I need more of you" Grace breathed.

Frankie pulls away and starts sending kisses down her neck, the kisses were warm but they sent cool electric shocks down Grace's spine, causing her back to arch and the woman to let out a slight moan.

Grace reaches for the bottom of Frankie's shirt and pulls it up over her head. She stares for a minute, in awe. She had never been with a woman, and now she couldn't understand why. Frankie, her best friend, sitting there, completely vulnerable, blue trusting eyes peering into her soul, her bare flesh and exposed breasts inches from Grace' s fingertips, it was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen.

"You are so beautiful" Grace said, bending her neck down to kiss Frankie again, allowing her fingertips to run up and down the long canvas that was her back. Eventually her hands land on the bra strap.

"Is this okay?" Grace asks.

Frankie nods her head yes.

With that grace unhooks the bra and lays Frankie down, lying on top of her.

Grace continues to push into her, kissing her deeply, and pushing Frankie's legs open with hers. She grabs one of Frankie's breasts and Frankie's breath hitches.

"Are you sure you've never been with a woman?" Frankie asked.

"Positive" Grace laughed back.

"You just seem very confident" Frankie said between kisses, looking up at the woman, taking in how beautiful she was. Her short blonde hair falling just right around her face.

"Well I guess that's what love will do to a person" Grace responded.

"What?" Frankie asked.

"What do you mean what?" Grace responds, sending kisses down Frankie's neck and across her collarbone.

"You love me?" Frankie asks just as Grace had made her way to her breasts.

Grace came back up to Frankie's line of sight.

"Frankie, I've always loved you" she said, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Just then the old grandfather clock struck midnight.

"It's Christmas" Grace gasped.

"And a merry one indeed!" Frankie laughed.

Grace lightly hit her and laughed back, content and pleased to finally be spending the holiday with someone she truly loved.


End file.
